With Thanksgiving arriving soon, I thought I would share this article published on November 22, 2017 on jmalonde.com, written by Joseph Lalonde. Taking a moment to remember the little things can make a big difference, no matter how busy the holidays become:

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving Day in the United States. Because of this, I wanted to reflect on 6 things leaders should be thankful for on Thanksgiving and every other day.

There’s a lot of pain that comes with leadership. Struggles no one else ever sees. Betrayals by coworkers and friends. Business failures. And so much more.

Yet there are also things leaders should be thankful for. Let’s take a look at these today.

6 Things Leaders Should Be Thankful For Everyday

1. Success:

Yes, be thankful for your successes. Your successes mean you’re having an impact on the world around you.

3. Influence:

Your influence is guiding and leading people. Be thankful for the influence you have on others.

4. Team members:

Your team is a valuable part of your leadership. From leaders in training to the people working on the ground floor of your organization, these are the people who are the foundation.

Without your team, there’d be a lot more work for you, the leader, to take on.

Be thankful for your team members. They take a huge weight off of your shoulders.

5. The organization:

Sometimes it can be hard to be thankful for the organization you work for. There comes a lot of stress and frustration when you lead an organization.

There are times when you feel unappreciated. You begin to wonder why you’re there when no one values the work you do.

This shouldn’t negate the thankfulness you feel towards the organization. You have the opportunity to guide, build, and lead the organization in a new direction.

Be thankful for the organization you work in.

6. Your family:

Sadly, I’ve seen families get passed over by leaders more often than not. The leaders dedicate themselves to leading an organization yet forget to lead the most important organization they chose to join: Their family.

Your family is part of your mission. You chose them. And they’re a godsend.

Be thankful for your family every day. One day they may not be there.

Joseph Lalonde created JMLalonde.com to help inspire current and future leaders. You can find this post here.

The opinions expressed here by JMLalonce.com columnists are their own, not those of JMLalonce.com.

Plenty of supposed experts are claiming this year’s Black Friday a catastrophic failure, but the numbers tell a different story. In reality, while brick and mortar stores weren’t as busy as last year, online spending saw a 26 percent increase over last year.

But what does this mean for your small business? Do you really have to go toe-to-toe with Walmart and Amazon this holiday season?

No, actually. You can carve out your own space in the market by excelling in these three areas.

Evaluate what has and hasn’t worked in the past – You’ve had some great ideas; you’ve also had some flops in your time. Take a good look at what promotions worked for you in the past and modernize them. At the same time, don’t cling to an idea you thought was great but went nowhere.

Differentiate yourself with a great mobile web presence – More and more web traffic is going the way of the smartphone and tablet, so make sure your company’s website is compatible with that. You don’t even need the newest, slickest app to stand out here.

Focus on your expertise – You likely won’t be able to match Amazon’s prices, because they make up for smaller profit margins by moving larger volumes of product, but you can beat them with your knowledge. Become the go-to source for your field, whether in store or through an online chat system.

You don’t have to have a monolithic big box store to be successful over the holidays. Your business won’t suddenly rake in billions, but the charm of a mom and pop can and does attract its own substantial crowd that’s just waiting to give you their money. When possible, the market loves to keep its money in the community. Give them a reason to do that.

As small business owners, some things are beyond our control. While we can’t predict external factors such as the weather or large-scale sales forecasts, we can decide which opportunities are worth pursuing.

On the heels of a 0.04% dip in U.S. consumer spending during the month of January, many retailers are scrambling to generate foot traffic and boost sluggish sales. One way they’re doing this is devising promotional efforts that center on holidays such as St. Patrick’s Day.

In general, it’s good to spread your marketing messaging out fairly evenly. But with holidays, it pays to remain highly targeted and be precise. How we promote during specific seasons can have a huge impact on business results and make or break the fiscal year.

As a company, your holiday marketing efforts – and most marketing efforts in general — should boil down to consideration of a few points:

-Context: How relevant is the product/service to enjoyment of the holiday?

-Clever: Is the product/service introduction novel, unique or unexpected?

-Conversation: Does the product/service at hand lend itself well to consumer talk?

-Convenience: Does your promotion or product/service make life easier?

When handled correctly, almost any imaginable product or service can be co-opted into the spirit of the season. But when a business clumsily inserts itself into the fray, it might be advised to expect a flat out rejection.

So is your business meant for holiday marketing? Here are some thoughts on holiday marketing from our friends at Redhype, a digital & branding agency in South Carolina.

DO: Have a plan

Without a coordinated effort for promote your items, where to promote them and what to promote, your business will fail to capitalize on the current promotion cycle.

-Simply put: Fresh roses don’t last forever. Send to the right person at the right time.

DO: Find the relevant holiday(s) for your brand

Common sense is king here. A candy manufacturer will reign supreme on Valentine’s Day, but the local brewer is king on St. Patrick’s. By focusing your efforts on a few holidays, rather than pushing promotions every time the calendar turns, you can save on product and promotion costs.

-Simply put: If you’re selling hot dogs, don’t do it on Christmas. Get in on it July 4.

DO: Make the customer king

Holiday shopping is stressful. No matter the reason or season, there are always attendant duties and things to buy for the celebration. By targeting your customers’ needs and making it easier for them to purchase, whether that’s by providing wishlists, keeping expanded hours, or utilizing tailored mobile apps, you can provide them something more valuable than a product: relief.

-Simply put: Bring the reason and the season to the buyer.

DO: Get people talking

Time and time again, studies show that word-of-mouth marketing is perhaps more effective than traditional advertising or PR. At Redhype, we work to build social capital for our clients as much as possible. By imbuing marketing messages with easy-to-share conversational items and encourage consumers to talk about products and services that excite.

-Simply put: Keep it simple. Put the words in your customers’ mouths.

DON’T: Run a cheesy campaign

Legendary ad man Tom McElligott once said, “I’d much rather overestimate the intelligence of the consumer than underestimate it.” Don’t insult your customers by crafting a cheesy line about LOVE for your product. The simple fact is that not everyone is going to.

The best advertising turns heads. Not rolls eyes. A ten percent off coupon in the paper works best for day-to-day items, but is hardly effective at enticing customers during the holiday sales cycle.

-Simply put: Give a reason to be excited, not just another number off the sale price.

DON’T:Run sales too early

While it may be tempting to put out a great sale before the competition, don’t disregard your profit margins. Customers will buy items all the way up until the last minute, so tweak your messaging and make sure your timing is apt.

-Simply put: Catering to the last minute shoppers can enhance the bottom line.

DON’T:Miss out on mobile sales

Sales made on smartphones and tablets are booming, almost exponentially, with estimates at around 16 percent of total retail sales in the United States … and growing.

Many companies wait until top shopping seasons to promote, only to drop off the radar shortly thereafter. Be sure to follow up on your promotional mix with additional, smaller promotions and also via social media to retain the customers you gained during the holidays.

-Simply put: Holidays are good and well. But customers year-round are better.